Narrative:

Approximately 15 min into a sanctioned charity flight, ATC called out traffic as 4 mi 3 O'clock at 5800 ft and apparently climbing. At this time, I raised my right wing and scanned the area for 10-15 seconds and also had my passenger scan the area. We were unable to locate the traffic and responded to ATC. 'No contact.' approximately 30-40 seconds later, ATC called the traffic as 2 mi and converging. This led me to realize that the traffic was not approaching at a near 90 degree angle and I started scanning more directly in front of my plane. Within 5-10 seconds I spotted a 172 at my 1 O'clock on a definite collision course. I simultaneously keyed my microphone calling out turning right -- descending as I banked well past 60 degrees and pulling more than 2.5 G's in an evasive maneuver, recommended by a flight instructor, to turn towards the other aircraft to shorten the time the planes would be in the same airspace. During the point of closest approach, I looked down into the cockpit and saw the other pilot looking straight ahead. He neither saw me nor made any attempt to alter his flight path. The approach was so close that I was not sure my landing gear would miss his wingtip. I have spent most of my flying in or near this airport and a lot of that time under control of ATC. Many times they have vectored me away from traffic when I was unable to find it visually. This was the first time they didn't and other then the time-distance discrepancy the only clue they gave me I was really in trouble were the words 2 mi and converging. I know that on their radar we must have appeared to have collided yet they did not call back after the near midair collision. When I calmed down I called them and said that the traffic which was supposed to be 300 ft above and climbing was actually at my altitude. Their response was thanks. I believe that I probably would have seen the other plane sooner during my normal scan had ATC not had me looking in the wrong direction and wrong altitude. They should have been able to tell that the other plane was not climbing and issued a descend directive. The convergence speed also should have indicated a more head to head approach. I will certainly be more cautious about believing ATC in the future. By the way, my 2 11 yr old passenger thought it was great getting to play kamikaze fighter pilot. I didn't tell them we almost died up there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN 2 SEL SMA ACFT INSIDE CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MIN INTO A SANCTIONED CHARITY FLT, ATC CALLED OUT TFC AS 4 MI 3 O'CLOCK AT 5800 FT AND APPARENTLY CLBING. AT THIS TIME, I RAISED MY R WING AND SCANNED THE AREA FOR 10-15 SECONDS AND ALSO HAD MY PAX SCAN THE AREA. WE WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE TFC AND RESPONDED TO ATC. 'NO CONTACT.' APPROX 30-40 SECONDS LATER, ATC CALLED THE TFC AS 2 MI AND CONVERGING. THIS LED ME TO REALIZE THAT THE TFC WAS NOT APCHING AT A NEAR 90 DEG ANGLE AND I STARTED SCANNING MORE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY PLANE. WITHIN 5-10 SECONDS I SPOTTED A 172 AT MY 1 O'CLOCK ON A DEFINITE COLLISION COURSE. I SIMULTANEOUSLY KEYED MY MIKE CALLING OUT TURNING R -- DSNDING AS I BANKED WELL PAST 60 DEGS AND PULLING MORE THAN 2.5 G'S IN AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, RECOMMENDED BY A FLT INSTRUCTOR, TO TURN TOWARDS THE OTHER ACFT TO SHORTEN THE TIME THE PLANES WOULD BE IN THE SAME AIRSPACE. DURING THE POINT OF CLOSEST APCH, I LOOKED DOWN INTO THE COCKPIT AND SAW THE OTHER PLT LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD. HE NEITHER SAW ME NOR MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO ALTER HIS FLT PATH. THE APCH WAS SO CLOSE THAT I WAS NOT SURE MY LNDG GEAR WOULD MISS HIS WINGTIP. I HAVE SPENT MOST OF MY FLYING IN OR NEAR THIS ARPT AND A LOT OF THAT TIME UNDER CTL OF ATC. MANY TIMES THEY HAVE VECTORED ME AWAY FROM TFC WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT VISUALLY. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY DIDN'T AND OTHER THEN THE TIME-DISTANCE DISCREPANCY THE ONLY CLUE THEY GAVE ME I WAS REALLY IN TROUBLE WERE THE WORDS 2 MI AND CONVERGING. I KNOW THAT ON THEIR RADAR WE MUST HAVE APPEARED TO HAVE COLLIDED YET THEY DID NOT CALL BACK AFTER THE NMAC. WHEN I CALMED DOWN I CALLED THEM AND SAID THAT THE TFC WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 300 FT ABOVE AND CLBING WAS ACTUALLY AT MY ALT. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THANKS. I BELIEVE THAT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SEEN THE OTHER PLANE SOONER DURING MY NORMAL SCAN HAD ATC NOT HAD ME LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND WRONG ALT. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL THAT THE OTHER PLANE WAS NOT CLBING AND ISSUED A DSND DIRECTIVE. THE CONVERGENCE SPD ALSO SHOULD HAVE INDICATED A MORE HEAD TO HEAD APCH. I WILL CERTAINLY BE MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT BELIEVING ATC IN THE FUTURE. BY THE WAY, MY 2 11 YR OLD PAX THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT GETTING TO PLAY KAMIKAZE FIGHTER PLT. I DIDN'T TELL THEM WE ALMOST DIED UP THERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.